Vampire in the Caribbean - Captain of the Avenger
by deslyncullen
Summary: Entry for AVAST! Pirate Edward Contest by DirtyEdwardLovers-Contests. During the 1700s, travelling was dangerous. Edward and his parents were robbed and shot by a gang of highwaymen. Edward was brought back from the brink of death by a vampire. Join Edward in some swashbuckling adventures as he becomes a pirate captain to destroy the villainous murders who had killed his parents.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Entry for AVAST! Pirate Edward Contest by DirtyEdwardLovers-Contests.** This will be a short story - Max 6000 words (not including author's notes & disclaimers).

During the eighteenth century, travelling was dangerous. Highwaymen terrorized travelers on the roads and pirates ruled the seas. Edward and his parents were robbed and shot by a gang of highwaymen. Edward was brought back from the brink of death by a vampire. He vowed to avenge his parents' deaths. His search for his enemies, led him to the sea. Join Edward in some swashbuckling adventures as he becomes a pirate captain to destroy the villainous murders who had taken away the most precious things in his life. By the time he's done with the villains, they would wish that they had killed him when they had the chance.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any songs used in this story belong to the writers, studios, and artists. No copyright infringement intended. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

England 1712

I'm laying on the cold, hard ground. My life's blood draining out of me. My ears still ringing from the gunfire, but otherwise, it's eerily quiet. Even the animals are silent. Maybe like me, they're afraid to show any signs of life.

Scenes from the attack flashed through my mind. Gunshots shattering the tranquilily of the forest. Our spooked horses taking off. The carriage careening after the team. Hooves thundering as our attackers perused us. More gunshots. Mother's cry before she slumped in her seat. Someone getting the horses under control followed by the demand to "Stand and deliver!" Father and I getting out of the carriage and removing our valuables. The order to get Mother's jewelry. Father's anguished cry when he'd realized Mother had't fainted, but had been shot in the back and had died during the shootout. The fear in the French bandit's eyes as he'd beheld Mother's lifeless body. Another gunshot. The surprised look on Father's face before he'd crumbled to the ground dead. Another shot. Pain had ripped through my chest. I felt like screaming, not from the excruciating pain, but to rail at the senseless deaths of my parents. I wanted to kill our attackers, but I was helpless. My only hope is to remain still and go for help after they leave.

The bandits were arguing. I concentrated on what they were saying, hoping they'd let something slip, after all, they thought I was dead.

"James, you've done it this time. Why did you shoot them?"

"I didn't like the way the boy looked at me."

"We could've threatened them. Now, because of your trigger finger, we'd be wanted for murder."

"If he'd described us, we would be hung anyway."

"Stop this pointless arguing. We have to get out of here." The third man said.

"We should cross the Channel until things calm down," said the French man.

Both my parents had been killed because of greed and a total disregard for life. For all they knew, I was dead also. Yet, these cold blooded murderers were calmly plotting their escape. I prayed for vengeance. If I get out of this alive, I'll track them down and kill them.

After the sound of hoof beats faded, I tried to get up. Pain sliced through me. I almost blacked out. It would be impossible to get on a horse, much less ride for help, and I may bleed to death before another traveler comes along, but I couldn't let these men get away with their crimes against my family. There had to be something I could do. Something that would point to the men who had perpetrated this travesty.

I gingerly rolled to my side. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I reached into my breast pocket for my journal. The cover was slick with blood, but what had me riveted, was the hole in the bottom. These bound pages had slowed down the bullet. I was almost overwhelmed by my emotions. I took a ragged breath, forcing myself back to the task at hand. I picked up a twig and dipped it into the blood oozing from the hole in my chest.

I wrote.

_James. Blue eyes, straw colored hair, medium height and build with pale skin._

I dipped my makeshift quill into my blood again.

_Second man. Tall, dark brown eyes and jet black hair. Dark complexion._

More blood.

_Third man - wild, red hair, green eyes. Short and skinny._

_Headed for the coast_.

It had been difficult to write. The note looked as if it had been written by a child, but it was legible. I clutched the journal in my hand, hoping that when our bodies were found, the sheriff could use this to help in his investigations. Was it poetic justice that the blood the bandits had spilled was used to write the damming evidence that may be used against them? I hope this would be enough to capture them and send them to the gallows. I pictured three bodies hanging next to each other twitching as the life drained out of them. I want vengeance, whether I live to see it or not.

I was beginning to feel sleepy. Not wanting my last thoughts to be about these vile men, I thought of my parents. My mind replayed moments of my childhood and memories of my years at school. Finally, the picture of my beautiful betrothed filled my mind. Her alabaster skin, dark brows and lashes framing large, deep brown eyes, and her abundance of brown hair. I thought of the last time I'd seen her. I felt the silky softness of her lips as she'd tentatively kissed my cheek when we'd said goodbye. It felt so real, her delicate floral perfume wafted in the air. Then it dawned on me. The scent was from the handkerchief that I'd begged her for. I'd placed it in my shirt pocket next to my heart, and had transferred it each time I'd changed. I reached for it. I took a deep breath, letting her scent invade every cell in my body. Even in this weaken state, my sex stirred. It's a fitting way for my life to end. Feeling the potent desire that I always felt for Isabella. My Isabella, the most enchanting, bewitching young lady I know. The kiss. Asking for her favor. Could we have subconsciously known that we would not see each other again?

"Goodbye my sweet Isabella. Maybe we'll meet again in another life."

* * *

A/N: There are many sites dedicated to the Lugat and other blood drinkers.


	2. Chapter 2

North Atlantic Ocean - August 1, 1715

I'm on the deck of a 144-foot, wooden ship with three masts. I'd chosen a schooner because it has terrific speed, maneuverability, and gun capacity, but it requires a smaller crew than square rigged vessels. I needed a powerful pirate ship, so I had outfitted The Avenger with 38 guns. Never in my wildest dreams, did I think I'd become a pirate, but my life had been changed drastically.

After James and his men had left me for dead, I'd awoken in a strange room. I'd clutched my chest, checking for my wound.

_"Good you're awake."_

_"Who are you?"_

_"My name is Carlisle Cullen. I found your family in the woods. I'm sorry I couldn't save your parents."_

_Pain pierced my heart. It hadn't been a nightmare._

_"How long had I been unconscious?"_

_"Three days."_

_"That's impossible."_

_"I'm a vampire. I used my blood to stop the bleeding. Then I waited for you to regain consciousness. I never thought your body would've been changed by so little blood. I wanted the decision of whether you became a vampire to be yours."_

_"This can't be real." As we spoke, I'd realized that I could read his mind. He was telling me the truth. I'd also became aware that my hearing and eyesight had improved tremendously._

_"I don't know what you've become, but you're not human anymore. Do you want to become a full vampire?"_

He'd explained about different vampires, but when I found out that the transformation from a lugat to a kukudhi-the perfect vampire, took thirty years. I had refused. His blood had already given me the enhanced abilities of a vampire while retaining my human characteristics so I'd wanted to leave his house immediately. Then he's handed me a mirror. Blood red eyes had stared back at me. I'd to contend with letting the sheriff look for them. I'd drawn sketches, of the three vile murderers responsible for ending my natural life and depriving me of my loving parents, but the trail had ended with them taking a ship to France. Every day, I'd plotted their demise-from draining their blood to the Chinese torture of Death by 1000 Cuts.

It had taken a year for my eyes to return to their green color. During that time, Carlisle had experimented with giving me more of his blood. It had made mestronger and faster, so he'd determined it would be wise for me to drink blood. He'd taught me how to drink from humans without killing them or leaving a mark, but explained that the potency of a vampire's blood increased with age, so I had feed from him frequently. I needed to be as strong as possible for what I wanted to do.

After almost two years of searching for the men I now identified as James Lawrence, Victor Andrews and Laurent de Ville, I had discovered that James and his cohorts had become pirates. James had four prized ships which he and his gang had confiscated and renamed. Laurent captained Twilight, Victor captained New Moon and Eclipse had been awarded to twins Alex and John, whom James had met on his travels. James' ship was Breaking Dawn. It was rumored that he had anywhere between ten and twenty ships flying his flag. His fleet terrorized merchants, privateers, and passenger ships in the Caribbean and along the Spanish Main. The stories varied wildly. It was hard to say if all of his exploits were real or not. He managed to operate under the radar of the Royal Navy, but ordinary sailors were aware of his activities, and he was spoken of in the back allies and the seedy underbelly on the coastal towns. That was where I'd found my crew. Men like me, who had an axe to grind against James' gang or men like him who took what they wanted without a second thought.

~~~~~VITC~~~~~

"Ship ahead!" Michael shouted from the Crow's nest.

I'd already seen the ship. It was an Urca. Mostly used in Spanish treasure fleets because of their strength and cargo carrying capacity. I'd also noticed the tattered sails. Maybe the fleet had been attacked, and this lone ship had escaped. Spanish ships carried gold, silver, sugar, rum, spices and sometimes even precious gems, making them choice targets for pirates and privateers.

"Ahoy!" I called out.

The excitement built as men gathered around. We'd been travelling for weeks, and the men were getting restless. If they didn't get some action soon, they'll probably stage a mutiny. The purpose of sailing on a pirate ship was to get booty. So far, zilch. Unbeknownst to them, I'd navigated away from any ships I'd sighted, but this would be a good haul for my crew. It would also prove whether I'm cut out to be a pirate captain.

"What flag is she flying?" Someone asked.

"It's a Spanish ship, called Urca de Lima." I informed the men before Mike could answer.

"Man your positions."

"Run our colors."

"Fire a warning!" I commanded, when the ship was close enough. The call was taken up by men along the ship to the gunners below deck. With a thundering roar, a fiery cannonball sailed through the air. It landed a few feet in front of the enemy ship, causing water to shoot into the air like a geyser.

The captain of the Urca de Lima fired back at us. His cannonball fell inches from our bow. It was obvious he'd deliberately tried to hit us. I heard him calling for his navigator to reposition their ship. I'd hoped this could be done with minimal loss of lives, but if he wanted to play hardball, so be it. In this dog eat dog world on the high seas, the strongest, wiliest and most vicious survived. The rest was eaten up and spit up. There're lots of ships at the bottom of the ocean as testament to this.

I'm a powerful half vampire, so I could take out the enemy in the blink of an eye, but I'm pretending to be human, so I can't blatantly use my supernatural abilities. Still, we were outnumbered. I had to do something. I aimed my musket at their helmsman. I fired. He staggered, gripped the wheel for support, but it was no use. He was dead before he hit the ground. With their helmsman dead, it would take a few minutes for them to get in position to aim their guns at us. I intend to stop them before that happened.

"Fire! Fire!"

BOOM!

BOOM!

Cannons roared. The deck shook. Multiple cannonballs flew through the air. A few blasted holes in the side of the Spanish ship. Debris flew in all directions. Some were aflame, causing fires to erupt where they landed. One took out their main mast. Others rolled on the deck scattering sailors. Smoke filled the air between both ships, like fog.

"Jasper, bombard them with your explosive devices." Jasper had taught some powder monkeys to make bombs by putting gunpowder in bottles and adding a fuse which would be lit just before launching them on the enemy ship.

"Don't let up on the attack until you see my signal."

I vaulted into the water and dived to the Spanish ship. I jammed their rudder, making it a sitting duck. As invisible as a ghost, I climbed onboard and made my way below deck. I began killing the gunners and their mates. Chaos ensued. You can't defend yourself from something you can't see. Men pulled their flintlocks, but I ensured not a shot was fired, because I didn't want anyone coming to investigate. Within minutes, I had obliterated everyone in sight. After that, I ghosted back on deck and climbed the riggings, signaling my ship to come alongside.

"Charge!"

No one on the Urca de Lima knew I was there until I issued my command. They tried to shoot me, but I was too quick for them to get a target. By this time, my crew was getting ready to board. Grappling hooks sailed through the air and then planks were laid out between both ships. My men swarmed over the planks and immediately started an assault. They were loaded down with pistols, daggers, axes, and cutlasses. Both sides shouted insults, curses and threats. My crew lacked numbers, but they made up for it in ferociousness. I apprehended the captain, disarmed him and tied his hand. It was common knowledge among sailors, that a crew became demoralized after their captain was captured or killed.

"Deténgase ahora mismo. Tengo el capitán," I said. My voice cut through the melee. When my men saw me with the Spanish captain, they let out a loud cheer.

"Deje las armas y nadie va a ser asesinado." Weapons clattered to the deck. A few brave sailors refused to drop their weapons, but they were overpowered and subdued. They cursed. Some spat at the feet of my men. I'd given them my assurance that no one will be killed, but they had no reason to believe me. I was flying a Jolly Roger, and we had already massacred about one hundred men. I couldn't blame them for thinking the worst of me.

I saw myself in their eyes. I looked like a savage. The captain's sword dangled from the red sash around my waist along with the flintlocks I had taken from the men below. Blood from my victims stained my once pristine, white shirt sleeves. There was a red streak on my forehead from where I had brushed my hair off my forehead, and there was blood dripping from my cutlass. As much as I want to intimidate my enemies, I didn't want to appear as a bloodthirsty fiend, but maybe it would help my reputation as a ruthless or even vicious pirate. The only thing I could do was to be a man of my word.

"These are our prisoners. We will not harm any of them."

After reading the minds of the crew, I'd understood why the captain had put up a fight. The Urca de Lima had been part of a fleet bringing riches to their new Queen. The rest of the ships had been lost in a hurricane. Although it didn't have any royal treasure onboard, it carried eighty-one chests of silver coins as well as general cargo consisting of uncured cowhides, chocolate, vanilla, sassafras, and incense. It took about an hour to transfer their cargo.

"Captain, that's the last chest."

"I'll stay here until you pull out of firing range." Before I dived overboard, I untied the captain.

Cheers erupted as I climbed back onto The Avenger.

"Huzzah!"

"Huzzah!"

"Huzzah!"

Emmett clapped me on my shoulder, "captain that was a great haul."

I addressed my crew. "You all put up a good fight. I'm honored you trusted me with your lives. Some of us didn't make it, but I'll give their share of the booty to their families." _That will not make up for the loss of their loved ones, but it's the least I could do._

We'd lost ten men, and there were twenty-four injuries. The men were given rum for their pain. From reading Carlisle's medical books, I was as skilled as a qualified surgeon, so I helped patch up their injuries. I was satisfied with our first battle, but I'll have to plan better for the next one.


	3. Chapter 3

I saw the ships on the horizon. Excitement raced through me when I saw the Jolly Roger with the triple skulls and cross bones. My excitement grew even more when I saw the names of the ships—Twilight and Eclipse. Not only was I going to take out two more of James' ships, I was also getting my hands on one of the men who had destroyed my life.

After months at sea and countless battles, we had captured and plundered several ships. Some of which had belonged to James. I had kept three vessels, which I had renamed Murderer's Hate, Bloody Executioner and The Fearful Sword of Hell. Currently, The Avenger was sailing alone. I had left the other ships at our home port of Land's End for necessary repairs. We were flying the Union Jack, and all our cannons ports were closed. The Avenger probably looked like a harmless merchant ship ripe for the taking. We had not intended in engaging anyone in a fight, but I could not resist taking out Twilight.

"Two ships off the port bow." I waited for everyone to gather around.

"We'll pretend we're going to surrender then we'll give then all we've got."

"Aye, Captain."

"Hide as many weapons as you can in the empty rain barrels around the deck. Gunners man the cannons. Jasper you and your men load a barrel with explosive devices and take up position on the poop deck. The rest of you to arm yourself to the teeth and stay on the stairway. When I yell _fire_ that will be the signal for everyone."

"Aye, Captain." Men scurried around carrying out my orders.

Twilight fired a warning cannon which fell a few feet off our bow. I didn't fire back, giving the impression of an easy surrender. They came at us from both sides.

"Ho there." A man called out from the deck of Twilight. "Who's the captain?"

"I am."

"Prepare to be boarded."

Grappling hooks swung over then planks were put in place. Dimitri Volturi, the man who had addressed me, signaled for men from Twilight and Eclipse to board The Avenger. Dimitri stood next to me with a sword in his hand. All the while, I searched for Laurent. Then there he was, crossing the plank. This was the moment I had waited for. My heart pounded with unspent fury. It took all my restraint not to kill him then and there, but getting firsthand information on James and the rest of the fleet was essential to the success of my plan for revenge.

Laurent stood on my deck as if he owned this ship. He was counting on an easy victory and thinking that The Avenger will make a great prize. He addressed his men. "Take everything in the hold."

"Aye, aye Captain." They turned to go below deck.

"Fire!" I yelled. The trap door flew open. Armed men came out of the bowels of the ship. At the same time, the men on deck took up their muskets and started shooting. The men from Twilight and Eclipse had no time to draw the weapons from their sashes. Jasper and his men began to light and toss their bombs at Twilight and Eclipse.

At the first sign of our duplicity, Dimitri pulled his sword and tried to run me through. I snatched the sword from his hand and plunged it into his heart. In the meantime, Laurent thought of shooting me in the back. I whirled around and flicked the pistol out of his hand. I pulled my sword. He pulled his. Steel met steel with an angry clang. Sparks flew. Again and again we lunged and parried. He was skilled with a sword, but he was no match for me. I slashed his hand, legs, and chest. Within ten minutes, his clothes were in shreds, and he was bleeding from multiple wounds. All around us men were fighting but I concentrated on getting the information I needed from Laurent and his men. After I got what I needed, I put the point of my sword to his throat. He put his hands up in surrender. I wanted him to know who was going to kill him.

"Do you remember me?"

"Should I?"

"Remember the family you and James shot two years ago?"

"Impossible." I watched the three lifeless bodies flash through his mind.

"I survived."

"It was not my idea. It was James'."

"You did nothing to stop him." I shouted. "After I kill you, I will hunt down the others and do the same thing to them. My loss will be avenged."

"If you are going after James, I know where he's heading." He said, hoping this knowledge will spare his life. I didn't need him to find James.

"You and your friends' crimes against me and my family will not go unpunished. Not only did you deprive me of my parents, but you had the temerity to plot your escape over our bodies. I vowed to kill you and I will."

He tried to run, but every direction he thought of, I was there to block his path. I replaced my sword with a razor sharp cutlass.

"Please…please."

"Did you show my family mercy?" I swung the cutlass, grabbing his head before it hit the deck.

I held up my trophy. "Surrender!" I yelled over the din. The blood from Laurent's head dripped down my arm and I held a bloody cutlass.

"Surrender!" My crew on the other ships took up the cry. Weapons clattered to the decks. The ones who resisted were killed.

Now that the fight was over, everyone could see this had been an easy slaughter for us. I surveyed the carnage around me. The deck of The Avenger was covered with blood. Dead and dying men littered all three decks. The smell of smoke, gunpowder and blood filled the air. Our surprise attack had given us the advantage. Laurent's crew had suffered a major loss. While some of my men had fought off the enemy on our deck, my sharpshooters had killed many of the unsuspecting crews on both enemy ships while Jasper and his team had done much damage with their bombs. The fighting had spread out to all three decks. Hand to hand combat with cutlasses and axes had raged until I had fought Laurent. I saw the fear on their faces. Many of them thinking that we would kill them anyway.

"Emmett, supervise the unloading of their cargo. If you find anyone hiding on Twilight, send them over to Eclipse."

I marched the prisoners over to Eclipse. I singled out the twins who captained this ship. I had something special planned for them.

"Two years ago, James, Lauren and Victor shot my family and left me for dead. A Big mistake. They should have finished the job. Let this serve as a warning that vengeance will be mine. I will kill the other men involved and anyone who tries that again. If you value your lives, you'd stay away from them."

Onboard The Avenger, a few men tossed Laurent's dead crew overboard. Our injured men were taken below to be cared for and our dead were placed on the poop deck—the bodies would be wrapped in sailcloth, and they'd be buried at sea, later. Sand was spread on deck to absorb the blood and also to keep our men from slipping and falling. After the transfer of cargo, I cut the grappling hooks. Before leaving Eclipse, I tossed the head I had been holding onto the deck. "Take this to James. Tell him his death is eminent. He could run, but he cannot hide." I shot Alex and John. They had not been in the forest with James and the others, but their minds disgusted me.

~~~~~VITC~~~~~

"What do you want to do with Twilight?" Jasper asked.

"Blow it to hell."

We pulled a safe distance away.

BOOM!

Cannonballs shot into the side of Twilight. Yellow and orange flames licked up the side of the ship. The sails caught afire. Explosions rocked the air. Burning debris flew in all directions. Soon the entire ship was engulfed in flames. The men cheered. The Eclipse was still close enough to see the destruction. I knew the story of our capture and destruction of Twilight will be reported not only to James, but news of this day will be spread through the islands. I was banking on that.

We attended to our wounded. We made toasts to the fallen men, then a team was assigned to wash down the deck. Jasper and his men began to prepare more of their bombs - you never knew what threat would be beyond the horizon.

With the information I had gained from Laurent, I had Emmett set a course for Nassau. One down, two more to go. I should be elated, but my victory felt hollow. I thought of what I had lost—not only my parents, but also Isabella.

Before I had tracked down my enemies, I had done something that had ripped my heart out of my chest. I had told Isabella I couldn't marry her. I had told her I was moving to America because I couldn't remain in England after the death of my parents. There was no way I could have asked her to wait for me. Even if I survived my encounter with my enemies, I had no way of knowing the long term effects of the vampire blood in my body. For all I knew, I would have to take Carlisle up on his offer to change me completely. Who would want to be with a vampire or a half vampire? Isabella deserved better. I shook off the morose mood that settled over me and went diving, letting the beauty under the water relax me. I can't think of my beautiful Isabella now. I had to be strong. I had a mission to complete.


	4. Chapter 4

Under the cover of night, I guided The Avenger through the mouth of the cove. I wanted to catch James by surprise. Hopefully, he and Victor would be together, so I could finish this tonight.

"I want the ship in complete blackout until I return."

I ghosted through the town, reading minds until I found Victor. He and many of James' men were in the taverns and grog shops. James was not on the island. I was angry that James had slipped through my fingers again. I was tempted to go after him, but I had an opportunity to kill Victor and destroy most of James' assets. He could run, but he can't hide.

I waited in the shadows for Victor. The images flooding my mind disgusted me. Most of James' men were monsters. Besides pillaging and plundering ships, they had indulged in the baser side of human nature, like the conquerors of old. There wasn't one shred of humanity in them. I wanted to destroy them all. I tried to escape their putrid thoughts, so I thought of my parents, Carlisle, Esme and Isabella.

Finally, Victor staggered out of the tavern. I intercepted him, knocked him unconscious and took him to a warehouse where James stored his pirated goods. I tied him to a pillar and gagged him. There were barrels of rum in the building, so I used some to splash in his face. He came to, spluttering and cursing. He was shocked. He was scared. He was furious. I was tempted to untie him to let him try some of the things running through his mind, but this was not the time or place. Instead, I answered one of his unspoken questions.

"Yes, I'm the bastard who's been killing your friends. I've appointed myself as judge, jury and executioner for you Laurent and James. I killed Laurent, Alex and John a week ago."

I pulled a long knife from my boot. His eyes bugged out. He began to struggle, but there was no way he could free himself. His heart started beating like a drum.

"I will kill you tonight, then I'll go after James. I'd plan the Chinese torture, Death of 1000 Cuts for James, but he's not here." With that, I made the first cut, then another and another. His screams were muffled, but sounded animalistic. His anguish was palpable. If he'd been an animal, I would have shot him in the head to put him out of his misery, but he was a monster. After an hour, he blacked out. I splashed a jug of rum in his face. The rum added more torture as it stung the multiple cuts covering him arms, legs and chest. It took hours, and he passed out again. He didn't live long enough for 1000 cuts. I ripped him apart and made a pile with his body parts. I decided to burn down the warehouse.

An alarm was sounded, when the fire was spotted. In minutes, men, women and children stood shoulder to shoulder with soldiers, sailors and slaves. Everyone was abuzz with speculations, but no one had seen anything suspicious.

~~~~~VITC~~~~~

"Edward, did you set the town on fire?" Jasper asked after I climbed onboard.

"No, only James' warehouse. James wasn't on the island, but I killed Victor. New Moon and three other ships are taking on water as we speak. James has two ships left - the battered remains of Eclipse and Breaking Dawn."

"I'd like to see his face when he gets this news." Emmett said.

"Me too." I answered.

"Where're we headed now?"

Should I follow James? Until I had a full crew, I'll be putting my men in a perilous situation if we engaged James or anyone else in battle. That's why I hadn't sailed into the harbor blazing my cannons or waited to attack my enemies on the open sea. Although we sustained our share of damages, injuries and deaths, the crew thought the God Neptune was smiling on us. I wanted to say, _I win because I cheat_. I never flaunted my superhuman abilities, but I used them to gain the advantage over my enemies, instead I let them hold on to their beliefs. I wish I had something to believe in.

"Emmett, take us home." If I had to, I'd leave them behind and track James on my own.


	5. The End

We learned that James was headed for Hispaniola.

"Hand the sails! All tops, gallants, and jibs!" Soon we were running before the wind. Hours went by with no sign of Breaking Dawn. Finally, there was a speck on the horizon. It got bigger and bigger.

"Breaking Dawn is off the port bow." We kept gaining on them.

"Man your positions!"

"Fire!" The cannon on the bow fired into the aft tower of Breaking Dawn. We came abreast.

"Fire!" Cannons belched fire and smoke like fire breathing dragons. The explosion tossed men off their feet. The lucky ones died instantly. Burning debris and sharp splinters rained down in a deadly shower killing and injuring many others. I swung unto the deck of Breaking Dawn.

"James!" I rushed across the deck. "Prepare to die."

I gave him the old heave ho. James sunk like a cannonball. My crew resumed the attack as soon as I dived in after James. He surfaced, coughing and spluttering as he fought to clear his lungs.

"Watch."

Cannonballs broke his ship apart. Sails and men burned like torches. Instead of a ball, one cannon had been stuffed with shrapnel. Men dropped dead like flies. Another explosion erupted on Breaking Dawn. The ship creaked and groaned as it tilted, then capsized. The water was littered with burning debris, and men, mostly dead. The survivors clung to anything that was afloat. I towed James to The Avenger. Ropes were dropped. I tied one around him, and he was hoisted. The survivors were picked up.

We had decided on James' punishments beforehand, so Emmett tied him to a mast.

"You'll be flogged by me and my brothers in front of your remaining crew." As he spoke, he cut most of James' clothes off.

Jasper, Emmett and Mike each administered thirteen lashes with a cat-o'-nine tails to which we had added metal balls and barbed wires. Blood and bits of flesh flew through the air with each lash. James' screams rent the air. The deck around him was blood red. After his whipping, buckets of water were dashed on him. He hissed, as the salt water doubled his pain. The brothers thought of their father who had undergone a similar punishment on James' ship, but had refrained from whipping him to death.

"Throw the prisoners in the brig."

The next day, a rope was passed under the ship from port to starboard. James' hands were secured to the rope, and his legs were bound together. Then he was thrown overboard and dragged along the bottom of the ship. He suffered greatly but did not drown. His limp body was pulled out of the water. His skin was cut all over from the barnacles, adding to his stripes from the whipping. Left untreated, he's die a slow, painful death from gangrene or blood poisoning. He'd get no mercy from us.

Finally, we marooned him on the tiniest, most deserted island on the map. The rest of our prisoners were turned over to the Royal Navy and the Hale brothers recounted the atrocities they'd suffered under James. Now the navy had witnesses to corroborate their story. In an unexpected turn of events, we'd been asked to work as privateers to help rid the seas of piracy.

* * *

"Edward, there's a boy looking for a job."

I looked across the deck. Our gazes locked. Before I realized it, I was across the deck. Not a boy, but a petite girl dressed in breeches with dirty smudges on her cheeks, and a filthy cap pulled almost to her eyebrows. I tried not to think of what could have befallen her if a sailor had forced her unto his ship.

I dragged her to my cabin.

"Sit."

Hoping to scare her off, I recounted all my evil deeds.

"You should have turned them all over to the law, but you did what you thought you had to."

"I'm a murderer."

"No, you avenged your parents' deaths."

We had lots to discuss, like why she was dressed as a boy, but we have forever.

Fate had a strange way of messing with my life. My parents had been killed, but I'd been reborn a superhuman. I'd killed my enemies, yet instead of being punished, I'd been hailed a hero for ridding the seas of those men. I don't know what's next, but with Isabella at my side, my life will never be dull.

* * *

It truly was a challange staying under 6000 words

Information on punishments for pirates came from this site - (http:)(/pirates.)(hegewisch.)(net/punish.)html


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